Roughly centered around the intersection of York Road (Route 263) and West Bristol Road, Hartsville straddles the dividing line that separates "Warminster from Warwick Townships.

Hartsville was named in honor of Colonel William Hart who served during the Revolutionary War. Colonel Hart was the landlord of the hotel at Plumsteadville before relocating to Hartsville in the late 1700s. Upon moving to the village, Colonel Hart opened a new inn which he called "The Sign of the Hart." Prior to the name Hartsville, the village was also known as Cross Roads and Harts Cross Roads. When General Washington was camped in Warwick Township in 1777, he and his officers generally dated their letters from Hartsville. Another fact of historical interest is that John Fitch, inventor of the steamboat, built the first model of his boat in a wheelright shop near Hartsville and launched it in a stream near Davisville.

Fortunately, the expansion of Old York Road bypassed Hartsville. If the expansion had followed the course of the existing road, it would have effectively divided the village in half and destroyed most of its charm. Thanks to the bypass, Hartsville remains a quiet, picturesque community with several large and beautiful old houses. The Hartsville Inn is a handsomely restored building.

Bucks County Planning Commission, The Villages of Bucks County: A Guidebook, 1987